HIV: how close are we to a vaccine — or a cure?
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02840-5
By Diana Kwon
A recent HIV conference brought exciting news: a seventh person has been “cured” of HIV through a stem-cell transplant. While this method is promising, it’s not scalable, as it’s only feasible for patients with conditions like cancer. For most people, the standard treatment remains antiretroviral therapy (ART), which controls the virus but doesn’t eliminate it. Researchers are exploring new options, including gene therapies targeting HIV’s entry points and long-acting injectable treatments. Recent advances in prevention, like long-acting PrEP injections, have shown great promise in reducing transmission rates. Vaccine development continues to face challenges, but progress is being made with new immunogens in clinical trials.